if the nation heads over the fiscal cliff. >> consumer spending will go down. that means you've got less customers. businesses get fewer profits. they hire fewer workers. you go on a downward spiral. >> reporter: the president met with house speaker john boehner at the white house. their face-to-face meeting in three weeks. neither side would offer any details from the discussion, which may be a good sign of modest progress. but a spokesman for the republican leader said boehner did not back down. his offer to the white house last week is still the gop's position in the fiscal cliff talks. that plan offers a total of $2.2 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade, including $800 billion in new tax revenue, but no increases on the top 2% of taxpayers. that's where the stalemate seems to be centered. president obama insists taxes on the wealthy must go up. >> but when they start making a million or 10 million or 20 million, you can afford to pay a little more. >> reporter: several republicans indicated that's a concession they're willing to make. >> will